542 H V S B A 
ftrengthening the grain, and thereby removing that debi¬ 
lity which lias been by fome confidered as the caufe of 
finut, their benefit depends upon the powers they poffefs 
of deftroving the infefts above defcribed ; but, to fttow 
the abfurdity of the commonly-received opinion in a more 
linking point of view, it is only necefiary, he adds, to 
ftate, that many of thefe preparations, which are fuppofed 
to be fo friendly to vegetation, are, in fact, highly inimi¬ 
cal to it, unlefs they are ufed with the utmolt caution ; 
even ftaie urine, which has long been confidered as a fafe 
and innocent remedy, is, under certain circumftances, 
highly pernicious. After he had difcovered the infedt, he 
made trial of all the fubltances commonly ufed, and found 
all of them, when properly applied, deltruftive to it. Is 
it not therefore, continues he, more . agreeable to plain 
common fenfe to fuppofe, that the virtue of thefe prepa¬ 
rations confifts more in the power they have of deftroy- 
ing vermin, than in any ftrengthening quality they pofiefs ? 
Wheat is known to be ready for the reaper, by its ftraw 
turning of a yellow colour, its ears beginning to bend in 
the neck, their having nogreennefs in the middle of them, 
and the grain becoming hard and plump. The quantity 
of wheat produced upon the acre muft vary confiderably, 
according to the circumftances of foil and preparation, as 
well as the ftate of the feafon ; for it has been found, that 
fome years the yield is under twenty, w'hile in others it is 
upwards of thirty, bufnels the acre, the foil and culture 
being in every refpeft the fame. The average return of 
this crop throughout the whole of the kingdom, is pro¬ 
bably not more than from three to three and a half quar¬ 
ters. In Middlefex, the greateft crop of wheat of which 
the author of the Report of that diftrict has any account, 
is, he fays, fixty-eight buftiels per acre; the leaft about 
twelve. The medium between thefe extremes is forty, 
which, he thinks, would be the average of land highly 
conditioned. But the average produce of Britain does 
not, he fuppofes, exceed one half of this quantity ; and 
yet, fays he, wheat is as certain a crop as any that is cul¬ 
tivated. This, he thinks, affords a clear proof that “ the 
lands of England are reduced confiderably below par, 
which,” in his opinion, “ can only have happened by a 
too frequent repetition of corn-crops, and general bad 
management, which has of courfe leflened the quantity of 
live-ftock, and with that, the belt means of raifing ma¬ 
nure. Let farmers,” continues he, “ be induced to fovv 
crops to be eaten on the land by cattle, fo that they may 
there leave their dung and urine, and corn will then be 
grown in double quantity ; and the iive-ftock, fupported 
by fuch green crops, be clear gain to the community.” 
In order to afcertain the goodnefs of a fample of wheat, 
it is neceflary to judge by the eye whether the berry be 
perfe&ly fed, or full, plump, and bright, and whether 
there be any adulteration proceeding from fprouted grains, 
Imut, or the feeds of weeds : and by the fmell, whether 
there be any improper impregnation, and whether it has 
been too much heated in the mow ; and finally, by the 
. feel, to determine if the grain be fufficiently dry, as when 
much loaded with moifture it is improper for the ufes of 
the miller. Where the fample handles coarfe, rough, and 
does not flip eafily in the hand, it may be decided not to 
be in a condition either for grinding or laying up in the 
granary. The lame means may alfo ferve to determine 
the weight; but confiderable experience is neceflary to 
decide with much correftnefs. It is obferved by the au¬ 
thor of the Synopfis of Hulbandry, that “ it is a good fam- 
ple of wheat where the weight of a fack, at eight gallons 
the bulhel in meafure, arrives at four bulhels three and a 
quarter pecks in weight, or ^ cwt., 1 qr. i8lb. If,” con¬ 
tinues he, “ a lack of this meafure weigh half-bnlhels and 
quarter, the fample is not bad, which is 2 cwt. 1 qr. ^.lb.” 
In the technical language of the farmer and miller, it is 
ufual, he adds, “ to drop the bulhels, and mention only 
the odd weight; thus, in the firft inftance the wheat weigh¬ 
ed three pecks four, and in the latter half-bulhels four. 
If there are no odd pounds, it is faid to weigh half-bulhels; 
3 
N D R y. 
or if from large meafure the weight comes to 2 cwt. 2 qrs. 
then it is faid to weigh five bulhels.” 
We have often obferved, with concern, the. little pains 
taken by fanners in harvefting their wheat, to fecure th,eir 
Ihocks of corn from the effects of rain when Itanding in 1 
the field. Heavy Ihovvers in time of harveft are not un- 
ufual; and much injury is often 'caufed by them, and 
much trouble occafioned by opening the Iheaves. The' 
hint fuggefted, therefore, in the following Ihort extraft, 
on the ufe of cap-lheaves, we would recommend to gene¬ 
ral attention; particularly as it will enable the farmer 
without fear to give his crop field-room, and prevent lvis hur¬ 
rying it, before it is thoroughly dry, into the barn Orltack. 
Wheat, as harvefted by Mr. William Elmhurft, near 
Horncaftle. “ I like to have my wheats cut rather green, 
not to Hand till ripe, fo as to lhake ; and I always have 
mine bound in fmallilh Iheaves, fet eight.only together; 
four of the largeft, two againft two, and the two fmallelr 
at the ends ; lo that they prop and iupport each other,, 
and the two longeft tied one? opened well and drawn up 
dole to each other over the fix ; and, by lo doing, I fierce¬ 
ly ever have a ftack blown down, even with a very ftrong. 
wind ; the two cap-lheaves muft be tied together by twitt¬ 
ing, and a little of the butt-ends of the Iheaves (on both 
fides) together; and when that is done and the cap-lheaves 
fpread nicely over the other fix, neither wind nor rain 
will hurt the wheat if it ftands out for three, .four, or five, 
weeks, being fo well covered below the ties; for no one 
practical failing, in a farmer, is greater, or more ridiculous 
and injurious, than carrying his crops, of any fort, too 
haftily ; as there is ten times more corn injured by being 
in too great a hurry, than by its flopping too .ong in the 
field ; and, when wheats are cut rather green and covered 
as above, the ftraw will feed the corn, and make the 
flour better and finer.”—Fof the natural hiftory and dif¬ 
ferent fpecies of wheat, various modes of culture, See. fee 
the article Triticum, in this Encyclopaedia.. 
Of RYE. 
This is a fpecies of wheat, capable of being cultivated 
on moft kinds of "land ; but the light fandy foiis, that can¬ 
not well be converted to the purpofe of wheat or barley, 
are, perhaps, the only ones on which it can be grown in 
this kingdom to advantage, becaufe its produce and value 
are not equal to other kinds of corn.. It can of courfe 
therefore only be introduced on fuch lands as are incapa¬ 
ble of being turned to better account. Even upon lome 
of the pooreft forts of fandy foil, wheat is fuppofed in 
fome diftrifts to be grown with more benefit to the culti¬ 
vator, the quality of the land being the lame, than this 
grain. It is moftly grown after early-fed turnips, clover, 
peafe, and other fimilar products, as well as after naked 
fallows, in particular cales. 
This crop, like that of wheat, requires the land to be 
floury, or in a tolerable ftate of pulverization. In many 
diftrifis, when intended to Hand for a crop, it is the 
cuftom to put it in upon fome fort of fallow ; but, where it 
is only to be fed oft’ by flieep, feldom more than one 
ploughing is given, the land being broken up and fallow¬ 
ed for turnips immediately after the crop has been fuffici¬ 
ently eaten down by flieep, &c. The periods of fowing 
rye are pretty much the fame as tliofe of wheat; but, when 
cultivated for green food, it may be advantageous to fow 
early, as in Auguft and September; but it may be fown 
in October, and during the winter months, until the be¬ 
ginning of March, in particular cafes, as where the early 
l'owings have failed, or there is an intention of having a 
lucceliion of this fort of feed for flieep. The allowance 
of feed, where the crop is to remain for harveft, is in moft 
fituations from about two bulhels to two and a half; but, 
when the intention is to feed it off, three, or even more, 
may be a better proportion, as the plants in fuch cafes 
fliould ftand confiderably thicker upon the ground, in 
order that the largeft poliible quantity or green food may 
be provided. As the procefs of germination in this fort 
